Washington, DC, sues StubHub, saying the resale platform inflates ticket prices with deceptive fees WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio [Video]

WASHINGTON — (AP) — The attorney general for Washington, D.C., sued StubHub on Wednesday, accusing the ticket resale platform of advertising deceptively low prices and then ramping up prices with extra fees.

The practice known as “drip pricing” violates consumer protection laws in the nation’s capital, Attorney General Brian Schwalb said.

“StubHub intentionally hides the true price to boost profits at its customers’ expense,” he said in a statement.

The company said it is disappointed to be targeted, maintaining its practices are consistent with the law and competing companies as well as broader industry norms. “We strongly support federal and state solutions that enhance existing laws to empower consumers, such as requiring all-in pricing uniformly across platforms,” the company said in a statement.

The lawsuit, meanwhile, says StubHub hides mandatory “fulfillment and service” fees until the end of a lengthy online purchasing process that often requires more than a dozen pages to complete as a countdown timer creates a sense of urgency.

That makes it “nearly impossible” for buyers …